This invention relates to a portable pacifier container with a dual purpose of cleaning a pacifier and sanitarily transporting a spare pacifier.
Parents commonly use pacifiers to quiet and soothe crying infants. Because a pacifier is held in a child""s mouth, it is particularly important that the pacifier is clean and germ-free. However, because an infant often allows a pacifier to fall out of its mouth, pacifiers are easily and frequently soiled. Unfortunately, when the infant is away from home or other readily-available sources of running water, it is often difficult for the parent to clean the soiled pacifier. Thus, an apparatus which allows a parent to clean a pacifier xe2x80x9con the goxe2x80x9d offers great utility.
It is also important for parents to keep their child""s pacifiers clean during transport. However, many parents just put the pacifier into an unsanitized pocket, diaper bag, purse, or the like. Not only does the pacifier have the potential of becoming soiled, it is often difficult for the parent to find and retrieve. Thus, there is a need not only for a portable cleaning apparatus but also for a container that will keep the pacifier clean and handy.
The present invention is a portable apparatus which serves two primary functions: cleaning a soiled pacifier and hygienically and conveniently storing a clean pacifier for transport in a manner that allows for easy accessibility. In a preferred embodiment, the present invention comprises a container with two interior compartments: a wet cleaning chamber or compartment and a dry storage chamber or compartment.
The top compartment has a waterproof, screw-on top lid which allows the compartment to hold water or other pacifier rinsing fluid. The top lid also has a channel for holding a strap that can secure the apparatus to a stroller, infant car seat, diaper bag, or purse, for example, thereby keeping the apparatus conveniently accessible. In a preferred embodiment, the bottom compartment offers room to hold a spare pacifier and has a snap-on lid.